The Cheer, a working title
by Piper7ca
Summary: What happens when Brooke finally figures it all out? Disclaimer: I own nothing. 'Cept your mom.


Blonde hair swaying back and forth with the rhythm, her hazel eyes alive with youthful spirit.

The perfect kick in time with the perfect beat, matching the raven haired girl's pulse.

Her pomp pomp locomotive, catching the field lights, creating a treasure map trail across her modest and remarkable form. The glory days of some, and all of Sam's glory resided in her. In Brooke.

Sam watched from the bleachers, the cheers echoing hazily as her deep dark eyes took in all that she could of her deepest secret. It was hidden from all those sitting around her, too fragile for their .

No doubt, many of them were focusing in on Brooke too, but none of them really knowing why they should adore her like they do. They didn't matter. They were the blur, the fuzz. All that mattered was that starlight, that radiance that flowed like a tidal wave- wiping out the ocean side and leaving everything flattened; calm. The wreckage lay in Sam's conscience, however she was past trying to control it. Sam breathed for this girl.

As the music thundered and the audience clapped, Sam's fantasy had been pulled back down into reality. Her beloved blonde topped an impeccable glamazon pyramid, her arms out in a triumphant V, Brooke wasn't looking up into the sky as was her normal stance for this procedure, she was looking straight into Sam's soul. As if she understood everything in that instant, Brooke smiled brilliantly, a glistening twinkle in her eyes. Sam thought her entire being might burst but would not look away. This solidarity seeped into a unity that neither girl had experienced roaring chorus of Kennedy High raged and boomed. After an annoyed tap from Nicole and a nudge from Lily, the girls were pulled apart and arrived back on planet earth.

"Carmen was great tonight, wasn't she?" Lily said excitedly, pulling at Sam's arm.

Carmen, yes. Their friend. The one who they came to support tonight. Sam felt dizzy.

"She was good, yeah." Sam breathed, jumping nervously at the third quarter whistles shrillness. She looked at the ground a yard below them, then back at Lily. The previous moment had registered finally,leaving Sam's mind milling a mile a minute, processing, computing, clicking. She was terrified. Sam looked down to where the Glamazons were celebrating their ace performance. Brooke seemed happy, yet distracted in light of her realization.

"Lily. I have to get out of here. I have to go." Sam said, grabbing her sweater and starting for ground level.

"Wait! Why're you going? Are you okay? Do you want me to come with?" The shorter girl asked after her. Yes. Sam wasn't sure she would make it to the parking lot, let alone her house without having some frantic panic attack, but she knew better. She couldn't tell anyone. Not even Lily. It was too weird. She looked out at the field. The guys were out getting ready to kick off, she knew she could get away undetected if she left now.

"No, I'll be okay," Sam choked out, almost unable to get the lie passed her teeth. "Josh is playing, you have to cheer him on! I'll call you later. I just..." With that, she was down and over the bleachers and on her way home. She had gotten a ride to the game with Josh and Lily, but she was glad that she had this time to walk and think things out. She was praying the fresh air might clear her scattered mind, and Sam rarely prayed.

The dusk was turning to dark and the breeze had just started to chill her cheeks as Sam walked in through the Palace doors. Immediately she found her mother and Mike making out on the couch like they were the teenagers, stunned as deer in headlights at the tempest that was Sam McPherson as she strode in through, scrunching her face up and faining disgust entirely on auto pilot. This wasn't the first time she'd walked in on them, and likely wouldn't be the last. Heading for the fridge she grabbed a bottle of water and flew up the golden stairs to her room. Shutting and locking the door, she made a bee line for her stereo and turned it up liberally, not caring that her parents were home and likely would be annoyed. If she could not reason her fear away, she'd blast it out with some angry girl music.

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Brooke wanted to look behind her to see Sam's eyes, hoping they would be as honest as before, but was scared senseless to. The game ended with Kennedy taking the victory by a landslide. Everyone cheered loudly, not noticing the storm clouds roll in above as the team gathered and jumped around on the field, followed by a slow progression toward the school parking lot. Brooke looked up at the bleachers where there was no sign of Sam anywhere. She spotted Lily making her way to Josh and was about to go ask where she had gone before the blondes Satan and Beezlebub came up to her.

"You're coming to Sug's with us to celebrate, right Brookie?" Nicole said in her most sickeningly sugary voice, still smiling over at the football team as they cat called after her. Mary Cherry blushed and smiled at them trying to harness all the sexual power she had within to lure her prey into her parlour. The guys weren't biting, but she didn't notice.

"I don't know if I should Nic, I've got to find Sam." Brooke replied, paying as little attention to Mary's newly orchestrated mating dance as humanly possible.

"Sam's a big girl, she'll be alright. Plus, you live with her. Plenty of time to catch up with Her Royal Nosiness later," The cropped blonde answered, taking her friend by the arm, beckoning Mary Cherry with a commanding voice. "Brookie, you ride shotgun, I don't want Lady back there to drool on my new sound system before she finds her tramp."

Brooke sighed and climbed in the monstrous SUV with her cheer pals. She didn't want to go to another one of Sugar's drunken rowdy parties tonight. Right now, all Brooke wanted to do was find Sam and talk.

She had noticed the curiosity and adoration with which her step sister was looking at her for quite some time now, and would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she enjoyed it. The fighting was at bay as of late, and the Mac Pack was starting to spend a little more time together. She would find herself asking Sam for her opinion on outfits or music, making popcorn when she knew Sam was in the livingroom reading her mystery novels just so she could pretend she wanted to watch a movie and spend the evening talking with her gorgeous companion. "Gorgeous, what an understatement." Brooke thought as she stared out the window at the houses and trees whizzing by. She had always admired Sam's body. So slender but strong, with substance and an unspoken elegance. She knew Sam hid it away under oversized clothes that Nicole often had reason to make fun of. But on those special occasions-the times she got to see Sam dressed up, the times she exposed some of her creamy soft skin and wore dresses or blouses that showed off her remarkable figure, or in a towel after showering in the mornings before school, Brooke's breath was taken away. Sam was her proof that women were by far the fairer sex. Brooke's eyes were glazed over, her flushed cheeks rose in a tiny smile. She wasn't saying a word, and Nicole soon caught on to her far away in never neverland expression.

"Who is it? Which one?" Satan asked her eyes pleading with Brooke for a juicy answer.

"What? Who? What are you talking about?" The cheer captain spat out, finally aware of the space around her and becoming increasingly defensive in this hostile environment.

"You're going coo coo for someone's cocoa puffs. Is it Brad? I saw you eyeing him earlier. You know, his dad co-owns Chanel I bet you could get a sweet discount if you hit it off, and those ar-"

"Ew, no Nic. I'm not thinking about anyone, and if I was, honestly! Brad? He's barely made it past the homoerectus stage of evolution." Brooke shot at her friend.

"Haha, homo, ahaaa erect. Brooke you're hilarious." Mary Cherry broke down into a fit of wheezes and snorts at her own play on words.

"Trust me Brookie, I've seen his erectus and he is no homo. You could do worse. So is it Craig?" Nicole slinged back, an air of defensiveness propelling her.

"Gross." Thought Brooke. That's all she'd want. Nicole's sloppy seconds, and lets face it. Anyone on the football team was Nicole Julian's sloppy seconds. Sure, maybe she could do worse, but not tonight. Tonight she wanted something infinitely better.


End file.
